Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Noah Syndergaard was all of us in the team’s four-run fifth inning in Game 4 against the San Diego Padres.
A quick 4-0 deficit in the top of the first has been erased by the Phillies, and then some. A back-and-forth Game 4 against the Padres has, thus far, been one of the more entertaining contests of the postseason, and certainly the NLCS.
Rob Thomson’s bullpen game may have backfired, but his lineup has more than made up that slack.
A two-run homer by Rhys Hoskins, his second of the game, tied this matchup at six runs apiece. When Hoskins went deep, Noah Syndergaard was warming up in the bullpen, and caught the reaction of the crowd in the moment.
Thor’s reaction speaks for itself, as this was almost certainly an “oh s—” moment.
Phillies: Noah Syndergaard’s reaction to Rhys Hoskins home run
Syndergaard, a longtime New York Mets starter, was acquired at the trade deadline as a depth rotation player. He’s performed quite well in the bullpen, where he’s been employed for most of the postseason as well.
It’s a unique road back to relevance for Syndergaard, who was with the lowly Angels before being traded to Philadelphia.
“I knew that I was living the good life at Newport Beach, but that’s not necessarily a good thing for an individual,” Syndergaard said, per The Athletic. “This presented a lot of new challenges for me, got me out of my comfort zone, and God works in mysterious ways.”
Whether it’s providing innings out of the bullpen, or a viral reaction to a memorable home run, Syndergaard really is a part of the fabric of this Phillies team.